Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Lazy JC "Smithers, are they booing me?"

(Smithers' response: "No sir, they're saying Boo-urns, Boo-urns.")

Keeping in theme with today's movie-quote post, I can't help but comment on the frequency of TV generated quotes that run through my head, in reaction to most everyday occurrences. One happened just Monday, as I sat at home, enjoying my spring break, watching the O's host the Yankees on Opening Day.

Orioles fans, finally with some hopes of backing a respectable team (the starting pitching is not good, but they're going to be a fun team to watch), made a conscious effort to taunt, jeer, and boo Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira at every opportunity. When he was announced during pre-game festivities, during his at-bats (not just at his announcement, but during the ENTIRE at-bat), and even whenever he handled the ball at first base. Now, for a lot of Yankees, this is nothing new. Derek Jeter gets heckled mercilessly at ballparks around the country. A-Roid will have to play with earplugs this year. It's common, and, usually, expected. Now, why had the Baltimore fans singled out Teixeira, as I assume they'll continue to do all season? Easy, the Orioles offered the Severna Park, Md. native $140 this past offseason to man first base near to his childhood home. Of course, shortly after, the Yankees swooped in and offered $180 million. Teixeira, like any of us, took the money and donned the pinstripes.Should he be faulted for turning his back on the team he watched play as a kid?

No, he's admitted many times that, while an O's fan, his favorite player was Don Mattingly. How can you blame a guy for following in the footsteps of their hero? Fox Sports writer Ken Rosenthal and ESPN Radio blowhard Colin Cowherd have made thier opinions on this matter known, blasting the Baltimore fans for being classless, and clueless, like they ever really had a chance to land Tex in the first place.Granted, it's thier job to stir-up controversey and fan interest, they've got to attract readers and listeners somehow. Still, it's times like these that make want to drive my car off a cliff when I listen, keeping in mind how much they're being paid to blabber on about such stupid and meaningless things. Newsflash: Mark Teixeira will get booed in most American League parks simply because he's a Yankee. While a lot of folks can't remember the time there was a Baltimore-New York rivalry, is it even unexpected for a Yankee to be dealt with hostilely in Camden Yards? You think the reaction will be much different in Fenway? Are the O's fans bitter? Sure they are. So what? My only regret is, that unlike the Simpsons' episode it reminded me of, the fans didn't pelt Teixeira with soft pretzels, the way the fans of the Sringfield Isotopes did to Mr. Burns. Tex has $180 million reasons to be completely unaffected by the boos, maybe he can lend a few to the national sports media to give it a rest.